It is well known to provide for portable modular building in circumstances where accommodation is needed in an emergency or on a temporary basis. Such buildings have to be rapidly and easily assembled to meet demand for emergency habitable structures in times, for example, of natural or other disasters. In addition such buildings are often required in remote locations by workers employed in the construction industry where temporary accommodation is needed during the term of the construction project.
There is a need for an all-purpose modular building system that can be exploited by both the residential and commercial construction sectors of industry. To date, portable and prefabricated buildings designs have not proved suitable for application in both sectors. Modular buildings have the advantages that they are easy and quick to erect, dismantle or relocate, are readily transportable, and flexible in that they are reconfigurable to meet changing requirements in size or needs. Unfortunately existing designs of such buildings are generally of a temporary nature and are not suited to long-term or permanent applications.
Existing modular buildings suffer from several disadvantages including: racking which causes wear and tear to the structure of the building and often leads to leaks, creaks and structural damage; condensation; inadequate interior temperature control; ineffective noise insulation; and an excessive ingress of dirt and dust (particularly in environments such as construction sites).